Cancer is a challenging disease target, and requires wide-ranging strategies for intervention. Given the difficulties in treating recalcitrant tumours, multi-mode therapies are of significant potential value.

For the last several decades parenteral long-acting oily depots for intramuscular injection (IM) and subcutaneous injection (SC), have been used in the treatment of schizophrenia and in hormone replacement therapy (e.g Fluphenazine decanoate in sesame oil , Prolixin Decanoate® (Bristol-Myers Squibb).

To apply personalised medicine, as a customization of health care to individual patients, through linking personal diagnostics, can increase the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment regimen and to minimise their adverse effects.

The transdermal route has many advantages over other routes for the delivery of drugs with systemic activity. These include the ease of use (and withdrawal in the occurrence of side-effects), avoidance of first-pass metabolism, and improved patient compliance.

Nanoencapsulation of therapeutic agents in nanocarriers is an effective way for delivering ‘problematic’ drugs such as those with poorly aqueous solubility and biologics which are prone to degradation.

Cancer continues to impose a vast burden with regard to financial costs as well as human suffering but the progress in its treatment is hindered by the limited selectivity and significant side-effects that the current chemotherapy demonstrates, representing a major challenge for modern drug delivery.